Rayo Vallecano 3 : 0 Real Betis - Three-sy for Rayo

Posted Saturday, March 17, 2012 by PA

Rayo Vallecano continued their rise up the Primera Division standings with a one-sided 3-0 victory at home to Real Betis.

Goals by Emiliano Armenteros, Diego Costa and Raul Tamudo secured a fifth win in seven matches as Rayo climbed into eighth place in the standings.

Defeat for Betis extends their winless streak to four games and leaves them down in 16th place, just six points above the relegation zone.

Rayo bossed the opening period and would have gone in front in the 18th minute but for a brilliant piece of goalkeeping by Betis' Fabricio.

Diego Costa's deep cross created the opening for Michu to direct a close-range header on target but Fabricio sprang up athletically to make a reflex save. The danger was not over, however, with the rebound coming out to Piti but his effort was blocked by Paulao.

Diego Costa went close for the hosts on 33 minutes when he fired in a left-footed effort from close range but Fabricio was again in the right place to make a save.

Javi Fuego had Rayo's final chance of a half they had bossed, dragging a right-footed volley wide from the edge of the area.

Rayo did not have to wait long after the restart to get the goal their dominance merited, however.

With 51 minutes gone a long punt forward was flicked on into the path of Diego Costa who cushioned a perfectly-weighted ball behind the Betis defence for Armenteros, who kept his head to finish clinically past the advancing goalkeeper.

With 76 minutes gone Roberto Trashorras was brought into the action to replace Piti and nearly made an immediate impression when he flashed a right-footed shot wide a minute later.

Trashorras did make a telling contribution in the 78th minute when his wicked free-kick from the left was met by the impressive Diego Costa, who nodded in his fifth goal since signing on loan from Atletico Madrid in the January transfer window.

There was still time for veteran striker Tamudo to come off the bench and inflict yet more misery on Betis, the 34-year-old scampering on to Trashorras' precise through ball and finishing powerfully under the exposed Fabricio.